Their First Thanksgiving
by TechnoGryffin
Summary: Don and Sloan have a change of plans and end up having Thanksgiving with his family.


Written with the incomparable e-anomaly . tumblr . com!

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><p>Don woke up at 5 am to start roasting the pumpkin for the pie he was making. He knew he needed to make a real pie or his mother might turn him away at the door. He put on the news and saw quickly Sloan's flight was never going to make it. So he snuck into the bedroom and turned her alarm off, putting a note on her phone.<p>

Around 9 am he started to turn the coffee on so it would be ready when Sloan got up. He was in boxers and an apron.

The sweet scent of cinnamon and pumpkin mixed with dark roasted coffee beans had Sloan's mouth watering the moment she opened her eyes- that was before she saw the time.

"Ohmygod! I'm late!" She jumped from the bed and reached to grab her phone, when she felt the note. "Oh- guess I won't be going home this year." Part of her was sad, another relieved that she wouldn't be in the terminal instead of with Don.

Padding to the kitchen, she caught sight of his bare back and boxers- and the apron tied to him. "Hey babe."

"Hey." Don smiled as he looked over his shoulders. "There are some pumpkin waffles in the oven. Coffee is ready too." Don smiled, turning back to the crust he was making from scratch. "When I turned 15 my mom taught me to make pumpkin pie from scratch. And every year since I have made it for Thanksgiving." He explained, enjoying the look of her in one of his shirts.

Sloan ran a hand through her hair and smirked, moving towards him and kissing over his spine, her cold nose pressed to his skin. "You should have been a chef." Her hand grazed his bum, giving him a pat. "Happy Thanksgiving honey. You're too sweet to me."

"Danny became the chef." Don moved an arm around her, keeping his flour covered hand away from her. "We have dinner at G4. It's easier than all of us trying to get to my parents house or to Danny's." He explained. "Mom was there at about 5 am to start cooking. Danny will be there about now. Janie will be there about an hour before we eat."

Her eyes widened. "That's a lot to do. Sounds like your Thanksgiving is going to be an adventure." Sloan gestured to the bedroom. "Thanks for the note. Looks like I won't be flying back."

"I already talked to Mom and told her to set you a place." Don smiled, washing his hands after finishing the crust. "We have the whole stock of G4's wine room so we don't need to bring anything other than the pie." He turned on the tap to wash his hands. "You can whip the cream so we can say the pie's from both of us."

Sloan shook her head, ducking his arm to move between he and the sink. What could she say, that this was a huge leap towards the G word - Girlfriend? Instead she leaned in and kissed him.

Don moved his hands under the tap before drying them and holding her all without taking his lips off of her. "You and I both know that this is a big deal." He whispered as he pressed his hips against her, trying to keep them on that line between flirty, serious and light.

A big deal was an understatement. She nodded, kissing him again as she rolled her hips against his. "I didn't think you wanted to consider that kind of deal." Sloan didn't want to say the words. She hoped that he already knew what she was talking about. Up until this point, she'd been a fuck buddy. Up until two weeks ago, when he started spending the night two and three times a week.

"You're more to me than what you can do with your tongue or hips." Don whispered, kissing her shoulder. "I didn't want to say it. It didn't want to say the words and have those words effect things. Because I'm happy. You make me happy." He whispered against her skin. "And I'm faithful. You didn't ask but I have been."

Sloan bit her lips, not wanting to make a sound. She let him talk. It sounded much like he needed to. "You make me happy, Don. Very happy." Of course she didn't ask if he was faithful. She wasn't in any position *to* ask. But now it seemed that she was? "I didn't want to assume that I was more to you than that."

Don didn't look at her face, trying to keep himself in the moment. "You are everything." He whispered as he kissed her neck, nuzzling it. He wanted the two of them to be everything to the other. "I want to be faithful. I want to not have to count the number of days I've been a good boyfriend, I just want to be one. I want you to be the woman who nags me when I need it and holds me when I need it. I want the full girlfriend package."

The thought of Don Keefer being forced to say the word commitment brought images of a fierce wind to mind. Until his breakup with Maggie, the last and final, he was different. Far different than now. Now he seemed relaxed. Happy.

Emotion took her by surprise, eyebrows raising, eyes tearing up. "Everything?" The word was breathless, a barely heard whisper. Arms wrapped around his waist as Sloan turned her face against him. "Alright. If you want that, I'm yours."

Don was never the type of guy that wanted to be committed to any woman longer than it took to get what he wanted from her. But what Don wanted from Sloan was a life time. And that meant he had to act like a man and not some teenager who wanted to get some. It was time to be an adult. "Good. Because when I called Mom at 6 am I told her I was bringing my girlfriend.  
>Because if I come stag again she might think I'm gay." Don smirked, looking a cross between smug and annoyed.<p>

Sloan playfully swatted him. "Good thing you let the cat out of the bag now. That would've been an awkward Thanksgiving toast, yeah?" She shook her head. "You, gay? Please. There are few men less gay than you." When she first met him, every one of her instincts screamed that he was a womanizer of the highest degree. Knowing every right word, every caress, all packaged behind an unassuming and approachable demeanor.

Don chuckled as he moved his hand over her bottom, trying not to look a little bit smug. He wanted to make sure that she knew that even if his past had been less than honorable that he was all about honor now. "Do you know how to whip cream or do you need me to teach you?" He asked. She made sandwiches if she was hungry or called for take out. That giant brain of hers never took on cooking as a skill to use. "We use a sugar vanilla mix with the cream."

Both hands moved to his hips and she nodded, knowing she was out of her depth. "I understand the cream part. But the rest of it- I can't picture it. Help? Please please?"

Don pulled back and brought her over to the mixer. "Ok, this is how you do it." Don took her though the steps, moving her though them. "And this is what you get." He dipped his finger in once it was finished and held it out for her to lick.

Her lips closed around the tip of his finger, around the fluffy white dollop and she moaned softly as it melted on her tongue. Sweet, silky, light as air perfection. "Oh god. I could eat that with a spoon."

"That is the Keefer family whipped cream. It's guarded but since you couldn't make it again even if you wanted I feel safe having you help." Don teased her. He walked to the over and pulled the crust. He poured the pumpkin in and put it back in.

She swiped another finger over the tallest peak in the mixing bowl and held it out for him. "Oh, ha. ha. I had a taste, now it's your turn." Sloan smiled brightly. She could be flirtatious and fun when she wanted to be. "When do we leave?"

"Dinner is at 1 so we need to leave here at about 11:30." Don said as he liked the cream off of her finger, flicking his tongue over her skin. "I want to make sure we get there a little bit early so we can held getting everything on the table. Mom will like we're helping."

Sloan made a face and hopped up on the island, suckling the remnants of sugary whipped cream from her knuckle. She looked at the clock. "9:30 now. Enough time for breakfast, a shower..." Her eyes stole to the bowl, picturing eating the cream off certain parts of his anatomy later. Delicious. "What do you think?"

"I was thinking breakfast, sex, shower and then heading out." Don said, saying it like he might tell her the weather for the day was cloudy with a little bit of sun. Sex had always been a very large part of their relationship and at times it had been the most solid thing between them. "I like to get off before I eat a giant meal. You know, keeps me from wanting to do it later when I'm pregnant with a food baby."

She laughed loudly, her body shaking. "Food baby. Aww, honey!" Sloan pat his stomach as she hopped down. On the way to him, she dabbed her finger in the whipped cream and held it out for him to eat. "I like that idea. Want to eat in bed or in the living room on the couch?" Sloan had half a mind to just sink to her knees and put the sex at the forefront of that equation.

Don smirked a little bit as he licked the cream off of her finger tips. He loved the feeling of of this playful banter. She was smarter than he was and yet someone when they were doing this they were on the same level. He liked that. Liked when they got to be equals.

"Let's eat on the couch. Then have sex in the bed. Then shower in the shower." He winked, opening the microwave where the waffles had been staying warm. "Do you want something on these or keep them plain?"

"Syrup and butter, please." Sliding past him, she bumped her hip against his to reach for two mugs and the carafe of freshly brewed coffee. "Bacon for you, babe?" It was a staple in his refrigerator.

"Please. It's already cook just needs to heat it up." Don said as he got their waffles ready. This was really simple and domestic. It was also just what he wanted. There was nothing about this moment he would want to change.

"Oh. Elliot is going to be out on Friday. Can you fill in for him?" Don asked as he moved to put a little butter in every hole. "I figured you would but I should still ask."

Sloan was busy inhaling the fragrant steam from the hot coffee. "Sure." Of course she would. For Don, just about anything he asked, she would do. Personally. At work? That depended.

"It should be a light day. It's post Thanksgiving. You can talk about Black Friday. Hit on a few on going stories." Don wasn't thinking anything too major would happen. At least he didn't want it to. "I was thinking afterward we could spend the night at your place. Maybe let me bring a bag of stuff over."

She sipped her coffee, nodding to him. Swallowing her comforting mouthful down, she smiled. "I'd like that."

"Good." Don smiled as he ran a hand down her back before taking their food into the living room. "I'll clean my closet out so you can grab some things to keep here. I know your things take up more room than mine." He winked at her, taking a bite of the perfect pumpkin waffles. "And cost about 5 times as much."

She leaned over once he settled to begin eating and snagged a piece of crispy bacon. "Mmm, that's so good. I'm not bringing over furniture, Don. You'll be fine! I promise. Nothing puffy." She grinned, biting into her waffle and making an obscene moan.

Don loved watching Sloan eat. She was always so willing to dig into her food and made no excuse for it. She really was the perfect woman. "Mom is going to love you. Sue Keefer is a force of nature and you are too. Janie and you can bag on people who don't understand math. She's an engineering student."

Sucking her thumb free of sticky syrup, she took another swallow of coffee. "Ooh, be careful what you wish for. We'll all become friends and bag on *you*." Sloan winked, only partially kidding.

Don snorted a little bit. "I already expect that. But then again I am very sure that I can handle it. The women in my family have no problem bagging on the men they love." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Here Sloan blushed, her cheeks hot. She hadn't said it. Once again, like most things unsaid and true, she had assumed that he hadn't wanted to know. She couldn't say it *now*- it would seem facetious.

Don finished off his breakfast, having enjoyed the goodness. "If you want to go prepare for mind blowing sex, I'll get the dishes in to soak and take out the pie." Don winked at her as he grabbed their plates. "And we can be as normal or kinky as you want. Just let me know what you want when I get in there."

Sloan walked into the bedroom and straight for the dresser. Maybe he wanted a little bit of Sloan in her slinky black silk or in nothing at all. As she was rummaging through her drawer, Sloan caught sight of herself in the mirror. Bloodshot, sleepy eyes; mussed slept-in hair and his old t shirt, big enough for her to swim in. She was what he wanted, not some primped version of what she thought he wanted.

So, she turned around and crawled onto the bed, stretching out and waiting for him.

Don pulled out the pie and checked it. Perfect. He made sure the dishes found their way into the dishwasher before cleaning the kitchen. He finally took the apron off and made sure that everything was set. He liked this domestic world he was creating with Sloan.

Walking into the bedroom he paused when he saw her laying on his bed looking at her phone. "You want to know a secret?" He whispered, his hand reaching for her ankle. "You might look better in my shirts than I do."

The phone was discarded as his fingers met the sensitive skin at the inside of her ankle. Sloan sat upright and inched towards him, sliding forward until she was close enough to kiss over his chest. "They smell like you." Her words were punctuated with a lick of his nipple and a kiss to his collarbone. She pressed herself to him, humming softly. "You asked me what kind of sex I wanted." Sloan whispered in his ear. "Passionate and rough. Think you can handle that, Keefer?"

Don bent down, kissing near her temple as his hand moved though her hair. She had the best hair. It always smelled good and it was soft. He liked when she had it down and he could run his hands though it. "I think I might be able to handle it." He whispered as he moved his hand down to pull his shirt from her body. He looked down at her nude form and tried not to whimper too loudly. "Move to the head of the bed." He ordered, his voice a bit rough.

Eyes on his, she pulled herself back to settle at the head of the bed, propped up on her elbows to watch him. No matter how many times they had sex, Sloan was taken by just how attentive he was. He was not what she expected. Not at all. Especially in bed; he was far better than she'd thought he would be.

Don pulled his boxers off before he moved to the bed. "Tell me something." He said, a hand on the bed to keep him up and another rubbing her calf. "Tell me what you think about at work when you catch me watching you." He wanted to know if she knew just how dirty some of the thoughts he had about her were. "Tell me what you think about when I catch you looking at me."

Sloan watched him with her mouth open just a bit, just enough for a whisper of his name to escape. Licking her lips, she spoke. "When I see you watching me, I just know you're thinking about fucking me on a nearby desk or up against the wall. You look hungry." Both hands ran up her sides to cup her chest. "I think about sucking you off wearing that grey suit of yours. Holding onto your tie and pinning you to your chair while I fuck you."

"Good answer." Don tilted his head to give her a searing kiss. He groaned deeply as he pressed forward, managing to get himself inside of her on his first try. Thankfully she was wet enough he didn't hurt her or himself in the process.

"I think about fucking you when you're on air sometimes. When you're owning a guest. When you're talking about the economy and you have that little known it all smirk on your lips." He grunted softly as his thrusts found a rhythm.

Sloan barely had time to comprehend his words, her mind giving her images of him striding up onto the dais, spinning her out of her chair and face first onto the round table while he fucked her from behind, still wearing his mic. "God-" Sloan cried out, gripping at his ass to keep him going, legs spread wide to get him closer. Deeper.

Every thrust had her groaning, panting. Sloan reached up, tangled her hand in his thick hair and pulled, applying her mouth to his neck and sucking greedily, light enough to not leave a permanent mark.

"I love knowing that I am yours Sloan." Don whispered against her neck. "Knowing that I'm the one that brings you pleasure. That I'm the one that makes you moan. That I cook you breakfast. Because making you happy, giving you what you need, is something I could spend the next 50 years doing." He arched against her, making sure to extend inside of her fully. "You're mine."

Now was the time that Sloan lost herself completely in him. In the weight of him against her chest; the sound of his voice in her ear; the overwhelming ache deep within her as he pushed to fill her up. Her eyes clenched shut, a cry from her mouth as she began to rock up to meet his thrusts, feet pushing into the mattress for leverage. She held onto him because he was hers and she was his. Pulling back to face him, she whispered three words that she had been too scared to say. Afraid of what they meant.

"I love you."

Don didn't freeze as he feared he would. He didn't stop in his quest to make the two of them hit the highest of highs. All he did was twist his head a little bit and kiss her jaw. "I love you too Sloan. I love you and I can say it without having a panic attack." He closed his eyes and groaned as he moved a hand between them. He wanted to give her clit some attention and make her see stars behind her eyelids. He wanted to make this moment to greatest of her life.

The smell of the cologne still clinging to his skin and the feeling of his fingers against her sensitive flesh made her moan. Legs opened wider, knees in the air as she gave herself to him. "Harder." One hand gripped the back of his neck, the other gripped his ass. Soon she began to shake, each breath a cry, one louder than the next. If he continued on this way, she was going to cum hard enough to break him in half.

There was a need inside of Don that wasn't there the day before. Or maybe it was there but it wasn't something that Don could feel. Now he felt it. He felt he and Sloan joining together. He felt the need to have a family with this woman. He felt need. He closed his eyes, pressing his face to her neck. "You got it." He groaned as he started ramming against her as firmly as he could. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last be he knew he'd last until she did out of sheer stubbornness.

It was as though every lover that she'd had before was merely a warm-up to him, to Don. Every single thrust took her higher, her nails raking down Don's back as suddenly the dam broke and she arched off the bed, her voice a strangled cry, eyes rolling back. Sloan was cumming, hard enough where for a moment she saw spots. It was Don's turn to cum, to fill her up, to give her his vulnerability.

Don whimpered as he came, his name on his lips over and over again. He usually didn't say anything when he came, going for a grunt or a groan. But with Sloan he wanted her to know it was her in his mind. As he rolled off of her he reached over, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. He moved their joined hands to his heart and rested them there as he tried to breath. "I love you Sloan. I didn't just say it because I wanted to get off. I love you."

She rolled to him, kissing his sweaty-slicked skin and smiled. "I know you wouldn't do that. You know better." Sloan sighed, feeling him wet between her thighs. "I love you, Don." Her eyes closed and she repeated it to him.

Don looked over when his phone started to ring. "Yeah? Ok. We'll pick up enough for all of us. Yes she's coming. I don't know. I'm sure she does. I don't need to ask. Mom. Fine I'll ask." Ron put the phone against his chest. "My mother wants to know if you are more of a smooth mashed potatoes fan or chunky mashed potatoes fan."

Sloan chuckled as she rose out of bed. "Chunky. Duh." She loved her waffles just that side of underdone, steak rare and potatoes the consistency of a potato.

"She's one of us Mama." Don said, knowing his mother would understand. "Yes. We will be there about an hour early. Yes." Don said, answering another one of her questions. One he didn't let Sloan hear. "Alright. I love you too. Bye." He hung up the phone, rubbing his face with his hand. "I'm so screwed."

Sloan was busy navigating her pile of clothes at the end of the bed. "What was that, babe? Everything okay?"

"Mom asked if I loved you." Don said as he used the bed sheet to clean himself off. "She could hear it in my voice." He added as he grabbed something from his closet to wear. It wasn't very dressy nor did it match each other.

Sloan smiled triumphantly. She conquered Donald Keefer's heart. The competitive part of her wanted to rub it in every other woman's face. SHE was loved by HIM. "Wait, wait. Mind if I guide you in dressing casual, babe?" The grey shirt in his hands remained, and the pants were replaced with dark pressed denim trousers. "Black belt, black shoes."

"Yes ma'am." Of all the things he would never admit to being bad at picking out clothes was not one. He knew he was not that great at picking out what to wear and Sloan, who was paid to look good, was much better at it. "Maybe one day when the news is slow I'll let you look though my closet and then take me shopping. After I get liquored up of course."

G4 was located half way between Danny Keefer's house and the Keefer family home in New Jersey. It had high ceilings and large tables. And made a perfect place for the Keefer's to spend Thanksgiving. "Ready?" Don asked, as he and Sloan, stood outside. "My whole family is in there. Mom, Dad, my brother, sister and her boyfriend."

Sloan fidgeted, wringing her hands and shifting from foot to foot now and then. "No?" She was terrified. More so than she had been when interviewing the head of the World Bank. Her eyes met his. "What if they don't like me?"

"I can find a new family. Maybe get an older brother this time." Don chuckled as he moved to open the door for her. "Come on. They don't bite." He muttered as he tried not to look too nervous. "Hey Mom, Danny. We're here."

Sloan was still short enough in her heels where if she ducked behind him, they wouldn't see her panic-stricken face. The last set of parents she met were Damon's. After spilling an entire pot of scalding hot coffee on his father, she'd learned to try not to flail when nervous- like right now.

Sloan came face to face with the younger Keefer male. "You must be Danny. I'm Sloan. Pleasure to meet you." She put on her most gentle smile and held out her hand.

Dan looked like Don but he looked a bit younger and had a light beard. he was a bit stockier too with a little bit of a gut. "It's good to meet ya Sloan." He grinned, giving her a hug instead of a handshake. "My big brother here has bee talking about you for two years. Glad to see you."

Sue Keefer walked out of the kitchen. She looked like Molly Weasley but without the red hair. "Donald Thomas Keefer, get over here and give your mother a hug."

Sloan hovered as she watched him walk over and encompass her in a huge hug. He'd been talking about her for two years? Wow. She must have made quite an impression. Now she had to know what they talked about. She smiled at the woman as she made eye contact. Meeting the father was not a fear; it was meeting the mother that made her palms sweaty. She was dating her little boy.

Sue walked over to look at the woman who so captured her little boy. She smiled at her, Don described her perfectly. But she had see her on TV too so that helped. "Sloan, I'm Sue Keefer. You're dating my little boy." She wanted to scare her a little before she gave her one of her hugs. "Are you two sleeping together?"

"Ma!" Don protested but he knew not to question her.

Sloan stared wide-eyed for a moment, both eyebrows up. "I am and I'm not sure which answer will allow me to keep my knee caps." She nodded to Don. "Sometimes, yes."

"She's honest." Sue smiled before giving Sloan a hug. "I like the give the partners a test. See if they are willing to lie or not." She explained before she pulled back. "Now why don't you and Don get the table set while I get Janie and her boyfriend to finish the food. Danny go pick out some wine. Your father has been trying for half an hour." She directed everyone before heading back to the kitchen.

Don looked over at Sloan and grinned. "She likes you. That is her liking you."

Sloan nodded numbly. "Oh, I see..." She stared at Don momentarily. "What would have happened if she hated me?" She gathered up the flatware and fine china, a modern sleek design that set off the architecture of the table. Sloan made an appreciative noise. "It is beautiful here." She still couldn't quite believe that she was meeting his family- the entire family.

"No hug." Don explained as he started to put the plates down. "And we would have had a talk later. Mom and I. And she would have expressed her worries. But she gave you the hug. And once she gives the hug it's hard to get it taken back." He explained. "And yes it is. Danny has good taste in this stuff. I don't but he does." He bumped her hip with his own. "You'll like Dad. He and you have the same thoughts on economics."

His words made her relax a bit. "The hug sounds precious." Momentarily she wondered who else in his past had gotten a hug; how many had met the family. Hearing the family talking in the kitchen, voices back and forth, Sloan suddenly felt her heart tug for home.

"You're the first girl I've brought home. And so far I'm one for one." Don smiled. They knew his high school girlfriend but he wasn't counting her. Sloan was the first real chance at a life he gave himself. "And I might never have to move off that." He added with a kiss.

"Donny!" Janie grinned, carrying a bowl in each hand. "How is my second favorite brother? Or first, depends on the moment and who pours the wine."

Janie looked very much like Sue and had curls much like Don tried to hide. Sloan offered to help her. "I can take one of those if you'd like."

"Thanks." Janie smiled. "I read on your wiki that you went to UC Berkley too." She was working on getting her degree. "At least Donny has good taste in women who have good taste in schools." She passed the dish to Sloan so they could get them on the table. "Did you live on campus or off?"

She smiled, settling the dish down and arranging the short floral arrangement near the handmade pillar candles. "On campus for the first two. Off for the last two. I had a lot of games to get to, so on campus made life *so* much easier."

"Games?" Don turned and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me you played sports." He tried to think of what sport Sloan might have played but he wasn't sure where she fit. Though with legs like hers there were a lot of options for her. "Do tell Sabbith."

Bobbie came out with the turkey and set it down before heading back to grab more food. This was his first real Thanksgiving meal. His family was usually scattered all over during this time of year.

Sloan chuckled, knowing that Don would have a sudden increase in blood pressure if he saw her uniform. "Volleyball. I was a Setter." She smiled watching Bobbie bustle around. "We were NCAA champions three of my four years on the team."

"You were a setter?" Don tried not to think about Sloan in the short shorts or sweaty from a work out. But he wouldn't be him if he didn't. "Maybe we should do some stories on student athletes when we get back. You can talk about how much the NCAA makes off of them." He knew that he was covering but he couldn't help it. Sloan was hot and Sloan the volleyball player was hotter.

She nodded with him, watching him for his tell- that blank, wistful stare off into the distance. "I was. That's a really good idea. We'll get a lot of response, I'm sure." Sloan walked behind him and caressed his back, whispering just so he would hear her. "You want to see my uniform, don't you."

Don had to really fight himself not to whimper. "Yes." He managed to say without his voice squeaking. "Do you still have it? Because if you still have it I might have to see you put it back on." He muttered, turning to face her and giving her the look. His tell was coming though strong.

She nodded, kissing his chin. "I do." Both hands moved to his chest, enjoying the small moment of playful intimacy. His sister and Bobbie had gone back to the kitchens for the rest of the platters, side dishes and salad. "I'll even wear my hair up in a ponytail for you, make it authentic."

"You are the best girlfriend in the history of girlfriends." Don whispered, his arms around her. He wanted to leave now and take her back to his place but he knew that would never fly. He closed his eyes and breathed her in. "Tonight we might have to stay at once place so I could get a look at that uniform. Make sure it is regulation."

"Hands off each other you two." Janie said as she and Bobbie got the rest of the stuff out. "Before Mom sees and you two have to sit though the sex ed thingy." Their mother did that sometimes just to make her children go red.

Sloan reluctantly pulled back from him and nodded, giving him a wink. She wanted to spend the night in his arms; talking, laughing, making out, making love. With this many dishes, she knew that it would be hours before they'd leave. "Does this sex ed talk happen often?"

"Only when Mom wants to mortify one of us." Janie said as she and Bobby took their seats. "She's done it to me three times, Danny twice and Don once in high school. He hasn't brought anyone home before so he's gotten it on prom night and that's it." She explained.

"If you're lucky she uses props and then makes you do it." Danny smirked as he took his seat on Don's other side. "The best is when she has your girlfriend try to deep threat the banana."

Sloan choked briefly on her sip of wine. "Wow." She blushed, not only due to the second-hand embarrassment but to the thought of doing it in front of Don. She was certain that he'd immediately grab her and head for the door. Aggressive Don was a beautiful, rare animal. Sloan saw very little of him, usually on equal level in the bedroom.

"Hey everyone." Thomas Keefer smiled as he walked out. He was Don in 30 years, looking just as handsome as his boys. "You must be the young woman we've heard so much about." He smiled as he walked over to take his seat next to Sloan. "I'm Tom Keefer. Good to have another economist at the table. Though I was never trained as one like you."

Her eyebrows went up. No wonder the family looked like one another; Don was a spitting image of his father. "Tom, a pleasure. I cannot wait to pick your brain. I'm restraining myself, can you tell?" Besides Don, nothing made her happier than talking shop.

"I should be the one saying that to you. I watch your show every day and take notes on it." He smiled as he tried not to look too much like a school boy. "I like learning about things I didn't know. And predicting the market is a bit of a hobby of mine. Though Don always tells me to just buy mutual funds."

That was all she needed to hear. Sloan told Tom about her bank of computers in her office. "It is just beautiful. And Don is right, but there are so many more levels to that-" She began to speak with her hands, turning towards Tom to school him in the art of crafting the perfect portfolio. She was in her own heaven.

Tom was a very smart man. By the end of the conversation, she'd agreed to sitting down with him and talking about his portfolio, over a coffee, in her office where he could gaze upon the beauty that is her computer set up.

Don just watched. He could hear Janie and Bobbie talking to their mom and Danny about plans to open a second location. But all he could do was watch Sloan and his father. She was beautiful, so animated and so full of life. He watched her and moved his hand to her thigh to just be connected to her.

"He's got it bad." Danny whispered to their mother.

"He does." Sue said softly back. "But he needs a good woman."

"Do you think she's *the* one?" Bobbie asked.

"90/10 yes." Janie answered, kissing his cheek.

When she felt Don's hand on her thigh, Sloan looked back at him, thinking that she'd done something wrong. Instead she was something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before and could not identify. Behind him, his mother grinned; across the table, his sister and Bobbie did the same.

"You know Sloan." Sue said as she watched Don and her tackle the dishes. "Don's never brought anyone home before." He was washing and Sloan was drying. "When he called this morning and asked if you could join us I had a good feeling. And now seeing you together." She paused, trying to keep herself from becoming too emotional. "You and he remind me of Tom and me a long time ago."

Sloan could see her reflection in the glazed surface, her eyes softening. She smiled softly to Sue as she slid closer to Don and tried to keep from getting roped into the high emotions in the room. "That means a lot to me that you think so." Sloan looked back to Don and couldn't help the slow grin. She wasn't just in love; she was head over heels, Cusack with the stereo over his head, Moonstruck-kind of in love. Movies would be made about this love; Don would immediately turn them into theater productions. Perfect.

"You know Mom there is a reason I never brought anyone home before." Don said, handing Sloan a clean dish. "I knew you wouldn't like them. They weren't smart enough or strong enough or whatever enough. But Sloan is all of those things. And she and I are good together." He didn't often talk like this but he wanted his mother to know and Sloan too.

"You're a good boy Donald." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Sloan, after the dishes are done come have a cup of coffee with me in the office. I want to speak with you alone." She smiled before slipping out.

Her office was at the end of the hallway at the top of the stairs past the employee entrance. Sloan knocked on the doorframe, announcing herself. "You have a lovely style." She gestured to the décor, the furnishings. All seemed to fit what of his mother's personality that she had seen thus far.

"My son has me run the business side of things. He doesn't have a wife to and he never was any good at it." Sue said as she smiled at the younger woman. "Don never needed any help to do what he wanted. He always managed to keep everything locked down. But when he looks at you I can see him making concessions, footholds for you, in his life."

Sloan had a moment where she wasn't sure that was a good thing, or at least in his mother's eyes. "I hope you know that I'm not trying to change him. I love him for who he is."

"He has always had these sharp edges. Edges that cut people that were close to him. He doesn't need to be changed but those edges need to be files down. Less they slash anyone who gets too close." Sue brought out two cups and poured each of them some whiskey. "You seem to be able to get close enough to him to sand the edges down without getting cut. And for that you have my approval. For that you have my blessing."

Sloan raised her cup to the woman in a toast. "It wasn't always that way. When we first met, within minutes we were arguing."

"That sounds like my boy." Sue chuckled as she took a sip. "He always pulled the pigtail of the girl he liked the hardest." She shook her head. "Do you want to be married, have a family?" She thought if she had Sloan alone she might as well get all of the questions out of the way.

"I do." The answer was immediate and without hesitation. Ever since she was old enough to recall watching her her parents play with Sage, laughing asking with the tiny child, she wanted that happiness too.

"He'll fight you about kids to start with. Say you don't have time, you don't need to tie down. But he wants them. I can see it in his eyes when he's around babies." Sue's sister had grand kids that Don played with for hours when they were up. "He'll ask you to marry him soon enough. He'll be shaking but he'll do it. Because not having you in his life is going to scare him too much. He's just like his daddy that one and that's what he said when he asked me."

Sloan took a deep swig, imagining Don proposing between breaks, holding up the ring for her to see in the control room and got a bit blown away. She wanted that. Badly.

"He'll be my first baby to get married." Sue said, more to herself than Sloan. "I want you and he to be happy and build whatever kid of life you want. But I want you to know that if you need it Tom and I will always be here for you." She reached over her desk to put her hand on Sloan's arm. "Because that's what family does, or this one at least. You'll be a Keefer and that means something."

Sloan teared up , wiping at her eyes. "I don't know what to say. Almost a year ago, I'd given up on finding a good guy. But Don. The moment I admitted how I felt out loud... That was it for me." She rounded the desk and have the woman a hug. "I was terrified to meet you. But you're more welcoming than I'd wished for."

Sue held the younger woman, making sure that she felt supported. "We're a loud and crazy bunch sweetheart but we're good people." She patted her back. "And you're welcome at our table anytime." She added, wiping at her eyes. "Even if I won't hear the end of our portfolio from Tom for months now."

Sloan laughed loudly at that, wondering as she swallowed the last of her glass and made her way downstairs what Don was doing.

Don opened the door to his apartment that night. It was closer than Sloan's and both of them were tied and ready to not be in the middle of New York.

"My mom really liked you." He said as he ran a hand over her back once her jacket was off. "Even Bobbie didn't get that kind of welcome." He added with a kiss to her cheek.

All Sloan had wanted to do was curl around him, into his lap and just hang on, as though he could leave but she'd not let him. Her arms found his neck and she buried her face against him, breathing him in. "I love you." She said.

"I love you too." Don whispered, holding her close to him. There was a slow burning need he was feeling in his gut, right next to the pumpkin pie. "I'm really glad we got to spend Thanksgiving together." He added softly, his hands on her bum. "You got to meet my family."

One hand stroked over the back of his neck, fingertips playing in his hair, the other drawing figures over his spine. "I did and they are wonderful." He had no idea how much that meant to her. "I felt at home."

Don smiled down at her, a hand moving up to cup her cheek. This was what being at home felt like. Warm and comfortable and just a little bit electrifying. Sloan was home for him, his apartment, her apartment, the newsroom. It didn't matter. "Come on babe, let's go put on some sweats and watch football." He was head over heals in love and for the first time he didn't care who knew it.


End file.
